1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a process of producing a laminar product including a plurality of metal sheets superposed on each other, wherein a plurality of sheet metal blanks corresponding to the metal sheets are superposed on each other.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An example of such a process is disclosed in JP-U-5-53735, wherein the product is conceptually divided into a plurality of constituent layers having respective outlines as seen in the direction of thickness of the layers. A plurality of sheet metal blanks corresponding to and having the same thickness values as these conceptual constituent layers are laser cut along respective predetermined cutting lines to form respective metal sheets whose outlines are identical with those of the corresponding constituent layers. The thus prepared metal sheets are superposed on each other. When each metal sheet is superposed on another, these two adjacent metal sheets are bonded together by welding. In this way, the product is produced by subjecting each of the sheet blanks to the cutting step and subjecting each of the metal sheets to the bonding step.
In the conventional process of producing a laminar structure, the sheet blanks are cut before these blanks (i.e., metal sheets) are superposed on each other and bonded together. When each of the individual sheet blanks is cut, it must be suitably positioned and held at the predetermined position. Further, the sheet blanks must be positioned again when they are superposed on each other and bonded together. Therefore, the conventional process requires positioning of each of the sheet blanks not only during the cutting operation but also during the bonding operation, undesirably increasing the required time and cost for producing the product.